Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Zetas respond to pressure by threatening war in Guatemala

Associated Press

Men claiming to belong to the Zetas drug gang forced radio stations to broadcast a threat of war in a northern Guatemalan province where the government declared a state of siege last week, authorities said Tuesday.

The men arrived at three radio stations in the northern city of Coban and threatened to burn the premises down and kill journalists and their families if the message was not broadcast, Interior Ministry spokesman Nery Morales said.

The message, which the radio broadcasters read out Monday, threatened violence if Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom does not fulfill unspecified promises. It said "war will start in this country, in shopping malls, schools and police stations."

Guatemala declared a month long state of siege Dec. 19 in the northern province of Alta Verapaz, a prime corridor for smuggling drugs from Honduras to Mexico and a bastion of Mexico's brutal Zetas drug gang.

Residents in the city of Coban say gangs roam the streets with assault rifles and armored vehicles, extorting and kidnapping people. Shootouts have become a daily occurrence.

The government deployed 300 soldiers to join about 500 police in patrolling the province.

The state of siege lets the army detain suspects without warrants, conduct warrantless searches, prohibit gun possession and public gatherings, and control the local news media.

Guatemalan law allows a state of siege for acts of terrorism, sedition or "rebellion," or when events "put the constitutional order or security of the state in danger."

Colom vowed Tuesday not to back down, though he did not specifically mention the threat against the radio stations.

"We are going to keep hitting the Zetas hard. Their threats are not going to intimidate me," he said during a public event.

The Zetas have begun controlling cocaine trafficking in the area since the gang killed Guatemalan drug boss Juan Jose "Juancho" Leon in 2008. They are blamed for numerous shootings in the region, plus the killing of five police officers in 2009, a confrontation that resulted in the confiscation of 500 grenades and other military weapons and ammunition.

Officials also say the Zetas have been recruiting from local indigenous groups, who suffer extreme poverty, in Alta Verapaz, and many people apprehended in Zeta operations are from the local area, according to prosecutors investigating drug crimes.

The Message Read On The Air

"This is a message for the President of Guatemala. We are los Zetas and we want the people to know that President Alvaro Colom received 11.5 million dollars before closing elections in the country during 2007 and he will pay for not following through with the agreement. He will pay with the lives, whether innocent of guilty, thus begins the war in the country, in commercial centers, in schools and in police stations."

ANOTHER ARTICLE I READ TODAY...was very interesting. I had posted last week on BB about the Zs being very strong as a reader was really under estimating them. I mentioned that the drug buz is really becoming just a portion of their expanded diversification. Piracy of software, dvd, cds, quotas, migrant extortions, diesel theft...They make pretty high quality knock offs.but I had concluded that if they do succeed in taking Guatemala they can freely mfg anything an have a huge resource of workers that will beat their command.not to mention a prime port on each side the country.

Very true Buela, the Zeta is probably now the strongest crime organization in the Americas.They have a military structure, they take money anywhere they can, they are very actively recruiting, they are not tied to a specific Mexican state, and they have no limits.

And now they are taking over Guatemala.

What's scary with this development is that CA -to the exception of CR and Panama- will never tolerate a US intervention on their territories, since the US is still perceived as the evil down there, for some obvious reasons. Thus we can say good buy to Guatemala. They will take it, with silver or lead.

The Zs are super smart with this move, they have an open border between Guatemala and Mexico and they can have all the sea ports and air strips they want just south of the Mexican border. It's a splendid logistic hub they can control, and nobody can take them out of there.

In perspective, this is even worse than the Colombian situation is the 80s.

Exactly! I kept pounding home that it was a huge miscaluation to sell the Zs short. My mind kept going back to Guatemala and the possibilty that Zs would öwn" the country, openingly conducting buz and smack on the Mx/Zlandia border. Not to mention the waterway routes on either side. This was a perfect plan. A perfect storm...

I thought the same thing about not asking for US help because of the history in CA..but then they have already asked for help, and 15% of Navy Seal forces in Afghanistan was moved to Guate apx 3 mos ago to train and equip guatemalan forces. A fríends' son was one, and he said he has never found anything so dismal in his 18 years as a seal.

Zetas are great recruiters for sure but honestly as more and more of them die. Who wants to work for them. They are notorious for not giving a shit about you when you call upon for them. There will be less of an angle for them to push on the poor to join them. Z's prey on the underprivledged as recruits because they have very little to begin with and for them it's an opportunity to have more than what you might have today. But to say they will take over Guatemala is absurd as I don't think they have 50% of supporters there. They are strong there for sure because most of the sicarios and disposable gunmen they have in Mexico hail from Guatemala and El Salvador. A dangerous criminal group for sure but you will never see them prosper as the top cartel in Mexico. There day will come! As ruthless as they may be Mexico will stand up against these scumbags.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF AMERICAN WAR VETERANS WHO ARE FOR HIRE THAT WOULD GLADLY GO DOWN THERE AND SHOW TRHESE SILLY FUCKS WHAT REAL SOILDERS CAN DO.IRAQ IS FULL OF DEAD ASSHOLES WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE ABOVE THE RULE OF LAW.THOSES WORTHLESS SONS OF STREET WHORES ARE EASY PREY FOR EX-US MILITARY PERSONAL- THEY WOULD'NT STAND A CHANCE. THEN THEY TO CAN FEEL THE PAIN LIKE THAT HAVE CAUSED TO SO MANY,A GOOD ZETA IS A DEAD ZETA AND THE EX-MILITARY OF THE U.S.A. CAN LEAD THE WAY TO MEXICOS RECOVERY FROM THIS CANCER!!! THIS IS ONE GOOD SOLUTION.DFLDFL

DFL,I agree but the Mexican government has yet to agree to accept the help of American soldiers. They are allowing special intelligence help which is great because they are best of the best and finally some shit is panning out. I don't see it happening anytime soon as far as soldiers going in. On another note most of the scum Z's you see now aren't even the elite soldiers they once were as most of them have been killed or captured, the original armed wing. The ones you see know are the scumbags they pick up off the street. The ones who really have no remorse or nothing to live for because they are lost in that little world. Sending in some elite trained officers from the states and elite trained marines from Mexico to clean house would idealy be the solution. But Senor Felipe Calderons pride has yet to give in. He declared war and he thinks he can handle it! God hope he can because the clock is ticking and days are worsening in Mexico....Is it me or evertime I see Felipe Calderon on the news, he looks more and more fatigued and skinnier. Escurido like we say, you can clearly see the pressure and toll it's taken on him. The scrutiny that job must be. Man......Saludos,CCC

@ anon 9:48,I think you are a true optimist and that you were one of those who believed the mission was accomplished in 2003 Iraq.

We are going to a Colombia-bis scenario with the CA area:Zs are in GCA since 2 years and already in control of 75% of the country;they have a strong recruiting base among the poor in the rural areas of 4 CA neighboring countries, which are among the poorest in LA;strong history of social warfare and people fear and distrust of national soldiers;corrupted and demotivated elites and law enforcement;Other cartels are already in Honduras and Salvador, El Chapo is in CR (although I don't think he intends to mess up with the country but to find a hiding place); etc...;

This is a long list you should consider. GCA is perfect for them. A cozy eagle nest. Like the Paki tribal areas with Afghanistan.

Did you say a take-over was absurd? Why would they need 50% of support in the population? They are not a political party in a democracy! They are a business.

They will do the same than the United Fruit Company did 50 years ago: They just need to control the right people including all members of the govt. Easy enough.

The US should learn from history my friend, so no to repeat the same mistakes again and again. The containment strategy had to start in 2006, now it's too late. Blame our education system or our arrogance.

Also, you ask who want to work for them as their have a high attrition rate. Do you think people give a shit when they can bring home some money to feed their family? Do kids have a problem when they get branded sneakers & a fancy cell phones with their AK-47? Do they have a problem working for Zetas in MX? And do you believe life is better in other gangs? Foot soldiers are all expendable, in all cartels.

Indeed, I see that move as a chance for GCA development after all. Just kidding.

@ Buela,The last time we trained GCA militaries, we gave the Zetas their best men, the Kaibiles. And do you think the population will be happy to see us coming? 200,000 died the last time we messed up with their country. US trainers will have to be confined in the few bases the GCA will let us, until the govt is bought by the bad guys. Then, gringos go home.

You want to save CA? Move the manufacturing jobs from China to CA. Create a self-sufficient and fair society. Nation building on our borders will be smarter than in the middle-east.

The only error the Zetas can make in their strategy is to harm the 99% base of the population there, the farmers and rural poor who could be their support. That's the mistake the FARC made in Colombia. We shall see.

ZETAS DONT HAVE 75% OF GUATEMALA. DONT FORGET HOW STRONG CARTEL DE SINALOA IS THERE. THEY HAVE THE WHOLE PACIFIC SIDE OF THAT COUNTRY.2ND WHEN YOUR THREATNING TOO WAGE WAR ON A COUNTRY CAUSE THEY DIDNT FOLLOW THRU ON A AGREEMENT THAT SOUNDS DESPERATE.

your point is well taken..but desperate means in desperate times...and trust me Guatemala is despert...they have no where to turn...and gues what? they already have reach out their hand...palm up...

as for mfg...i will tell you the lesson we learned in 1980 when we moved our mfg and design company to the pacific rim...we tried Mx-Ca-So Am...first. it made sense logistically, right? we got out of there so fast and never looked back. Org crime, corruption, threats, fluctuation in duty imposed with each person spoken to...kick backs...no rhyme or reason. could not even propose a simple cost projection for anything. it was horrible...we left selling off our buildings for 1 dollar just to say "see ya" . our firends have tried in Mx within the last 10 years...same scenario, same result. one really cannot produce a quality high end design product in latin america (mass production) always road blocks. Brazil does it best. But we are establishd in asia. we bring in in good economy 1400 forty ft containers per month. with few problems.

those communists know how to be capitalists. and do it well. they put the welcome mat out and work with foreign mfg. we have been in asia for 30 years in just about every country

I'd say that The mission as worpped as it may have been was accomplished by the Americans in Iraq with great efectiveness. Saddam Hussain and his thug sons are out and Al Quaeda in Iraq have been defeated. Now if you talk about the political sense and stablity of that shitty nation, its another thing.The cartels people would be no match for these war seasoned veterans who would hunt these mostly ignorant filty turds and destroy them.The Americans are the best, most well equipped military in the world and those piece of monkey shits would have no chance of survival.You from Mexico can talk all the shit you want however the Americans know how to get it done!!DFL

DFL is an example of just how brain damaged most American khanzeer soldiers and their supporters are. 4500 pigs blown to bits and countless thousands more of their piglets from the Iraqi police and army sent to the hellfire. Allahu Akbar... and Iraq is far from over yet.

In a former job, I was working with plants in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. I know what you are talking about. The company was -and still is- a Fortune 50 in healthcare. But our Juarez plant was great. Good folks, better than many US based plant. Not only on the cost side, but mostly on the staff attitude. We were able to implement 6 sigma before the US. People were paid dirt cheap to do a great job in surgical supplies. With pride.

And you're right, the big issue is the red tape, placed by an ineffective administrations in MX. How can we help them to change that? Not by sending Rambo wannabees, for sure (hey guys, couldn't you finish the job in Af-Pak first? For free? I'm broke and can't pay for another Humvee)

My granddad was a sailor on a German gunboat in China during the Boxer riots. He got great dragons tattoos. I've seen Chinese rise and I will see Chinese economic and politic domination. This doesn't mean I will drop my pants before them. Or it might be the Wallace way.I try hard not to buy Chinese. Hey, my shirt is a French brand, made in Ecuador. Americas first.

You are an interesting dude...and lived an interesting life from the sounds of it.Juarez and other border maquilas do a good job with certain production and product. They simply were not equipped to handle product with many variant in high design, and it was a mess, that said, had we encountered everything else being fair and equal we would have been happy to stick with it longer through the learning curve in latin am.but it was impossible for the reasons i mentioned.. Actually, and I know this is going to rattle somes cages...but I am nothing if not out there with what I feel and .think,,so...actually, we would have loved to have stayed in the US. I am a patriot and hated to leave my country and move our business. My husband is not US but he still thinks the US is the greatest country in the world..we had our facilities in California and High Point NC..people think mfg move out of US for cheap labor, and yes that is a component, no doubt...when a particular item US cost @ 75USD and same thing in China for 18 USD..one need to say no more..BUT for us it was not that..what it came down to is the other element chasing all the US mfg away... TAXES..when we were paying combined taxes of 80 cents on the dollar...we looked elsewhere.

I hate China. I don't blame you for your personal protest. but if we had not moved we would not have had the business pass 1985. by the move ...originally to Taiwan..we gained fast incredible sucess. Taiwan had a learning curve....but I am telling you China...Vietnam...Malaysia were product perfect out the gate.

But I hated taking 1000 jobs away from the US. and I hate the fact I am sucessful in a place i despise. and I know that a country cannot survive economically without a mfg base...so we are in trouble, because the jobs that left...are not coming back.But Asia treats foreign business like welcomed guests. we have had a little trouble with org crime...and they are meaner than Mx DTOs...long story there...but we have body guards, drivers etc and live in a gated community, and mind our own business so to speak..so we do fine.my husband runs the businesses now since I began the foundations...I do not miss being in China for long periods!

No argument from me there! Sinaloa has clearly define swaths of territory along Mx-Guat border.

However no one said, at least not me that Zs are controlling 75% of Guat...the info was from the gov of Guatemala...the stated last week "Los Zetas have a PRESENCE in 75% of our country" further stating "the state of siege is to maintain control of key areas e.g. Alta Verapaz from the criminal gang Los Zetas" now I found that interesting because if one looks at the map, it doesn't make a lot of sense, but I am keeping an open mind/eye.

Sinaloa remains the strongest of the cartels..but all I am saying is Zetas are also very strong and I can see a future that they co-exist...i know...i know...and trust me its hard to cough out those words...but if one simply maintains a business viewpoint it is plausible. especially with the diversification that has transpired greatly with the Zs...if drugs become less of a factor...

SInaloa has a greater presense in Costa Rica. They have become huge there and with Costa RIca having no army they asked the US to "come on down" which we quietly did and now have 7000 troops there and a number of war ships...

and we transferred 15% of our navy seals to Guatemala to "train" forces there. Guatemala is in dismal shape...only 340 police in the country and only 50% on shift at a time or 170 for the entire country....Ay Dios Mio!

I read this comment below by Matanzas and I had to just laugh my ass off over it....

'What's scary with this development is that CA -to the exception of CR and Panama- will never tolerate a US intervention on their territories, since the US is still perceived as the evil down there, for some obvious reasons. Thus we can say good buy to Guatemala. They will take it, with silver or lead.'

I laughed even more still when my good friend Buela spoke up and said that he/she basically agreed totally here with Matanzas! Though he said that the Guatemalan government had just 'asked' for help from the US! ....lol...

Hey, Both of You Two, I visited Coban and Alta Verapaz way back 25 years ago and still remember US sponsored death squad slogans written all over the place on walls and rocks. The US intervened already, Dude and Dudetta! Where were you guys? Asleep.. or not born yet?

I remember watching the constant Guatemalan military pr crap on TV there, and thinking to myself that they had a US pr firm making their stuff up. In fact, it stunk of the USA and Pentagon it did!

Then it was discovered and made well known to all, that that US ally, Israel, was all over Guatemala, too, designing the set up of the Guatemalan military's computer systems! This info can be rather easily googled up by anybody. Check it out!

The US is all over ALL of Central America, and not just in CR and Panama. It's been that way for like several centuries perhaps now>>>> Remember President Monroe, Matanzas and Buela? Just asking nicely now.... The US was already all over LA and deeply into LA affairs way before he made his famous 'doctrine' up, and told the Europeans to now get the hell out. It's not like tiny little Guate and its rich elites are in any shape or form ready to order the US government to stay out of their affairs.

Buela, I didn't know that you, as a feminist Mexican woman who hates sexism so, would refer to the US military/ US government forces as 'we'?

'They have become huge there and with Costa RIca having no army they asked the US to "come on down" which we quietly did and now have 7000 troops there and a number of war ships...and we transferred 15% of our navy seals to Guatemala to "train" forces there.'

'We, we, we'! You know, Buela. I'm not part of that 'we'. I am not a 'seal' lover. I am not with 'ICE' or into 'icing' people down. I am not into 'SWAT' teams, and snipers and DC paid assassins. They are not 'our drones, but merely yours of the great 'we'.

My Dear Ernest...I am worried about you...and I am sincere, something is wrong. I mean we seldom agree, but your behavior is off, I hope it is just a phase and not something seriously wrong or sad in your life, but you seem ultra combative. it is not necessary E...say what you wish of course, I always have been in your corner with that, but you are not making sense and usually; like what you say or not one can follow the thought. not now, its all over the place, convuluted mumbo jumbo.

I know you are pissed at me. and thats cool, but really E you were pretty vulgar today and that IS NOT you. cursing and talking vulgar is not your sytle. ever. I know I touched a nerve because I know you. and called it true. and it hurts...but I have never went on offense with you and always welcome debate. but your notion that I am a man...ok...and I am a fake...well why would you say that? You saw my Mier story. and tonight Ovemex wrote about his involvment in a foundation project of mine, and he knows my work. If I could I would tell you my name, though many children do know me by Buela Chivis my given name you could google and read all about my work. But I can not, I have said some bad things about some bad people...and they know me personally... I am sorry that you can not believe that a woman who says "ass" is somehow exempt from doing good humanitarian work. but it is simply untrue. Just like many people who hang in pews do nothing for mankind. You can not exempt or place a person in a category because of prejudice or preconceived notion.

I have spent 30 years working for children in the US and other countries. and you know what? I would accept you to come with us on a project...how about that? we are going to Chiapas next to build schools for the Zapatista Children...consider this an invite...think about it...but leave your weapons at home..jeje

as for Guatemala...Ernie...you have to wake up you are still living, thinking and feeding on decades past...your past has zero relevance to today...NONE. I spoke the facts, not of my trip 30 years ago or yours 25 years ago. but today. you are like this person who was hit by a huge boulder..and have been in a coma all these years...you awaken...and still speak "like its 1975" it is tiring...and so redundant.

You still continue to blog-stalk me, which demonstrates a deep fascination with me and my life..but honestly you fly off the handle...if one assumes you ever were on the handle. But lets give it a rest...or if you would like just send me communications thru borderland beat...I will respond in kind...

Back to the topic of Guatemala then, Smurf. Any notion that Guatemala's government can somehow independently AND PEACEFULLY pull itself out of the orbit of The Empire run from D.C. is delusional. And D.C. wants 'drug war' since 'drug war' is its favorite excuse to be intervening militarily across the Americas.

Supposedly fighting 'Islamic terrorism' suits the ruling gang in the US perfectly for excuse to intervene against the rest of the world militarily . We are seeing the merging of these two catch phrases to pull the constant USA Go USA! USA! USA! idiots into line though. I can imagine that the German nation once went through much similar.

Buela says...'as for Guatemala...Ernie...you have to wake up you are still living, thinking and feeding on decades past...your past has zero relevance to today...NONE.'

That's is simply absolutely not true. Those who know nothing of recent history, which is seemingly the way Buela would keep people...IGNORANT of it... go on to simply repeat the same ol' mistakes multiplied many many times over.